User Objects

LumiCode is great at getting information from .NET assemblies, but what if you want your diagrams to model something that doesn't exist in your code? That's where User Objects come in.

Things you may want to represent with User Objects:

1. Humans your application interacts with.

2. External systems your application interacts with.

3. Classes you intend to code later.

Here's an example of a sequence diagram with User Objects:

Student and RegistrationSystem are both User Objects. Register, Enter User Data, and Enter Class Request are all methods (messages) defined on the User Objects. You can mix User Objects with objects from your code in a diagram.

User Objects are useless unless you define User Calls between them and objects from your code. See User Calls to learn how to define them.

Creating a User Object

1. Under the Project menu, click User Objects.

   

2. Click New, and then enter the object name.

   

3. If you would like a method name "instance" to be created, check Create Instance Method. This option is offered as a convenence.

4. Click OK.

5. Click Close to exit the User Object dialog.

Adding a method to a User Object

1. Under the Project menu, click User Objects.

   

2. Select the User Object in the list you wish to add a method to.

3. Click Edit.

   

4. Click Add Method.

5. Enter a method name, and then click OK.

6. Click Close to exit the Edit User Object dialog.

7. Click Close to exit the User Object dialog.

Using User Objects

When you have created a User Object, it will be available for selection in all the selection trees and lists exactly like any class from your code.

To find User Objects in a selection tree, drill down from the User Object namespace.

Removing a User Object

1. Under the Project menu, click User Objects.

2. In Select the User Object in the list you wish remove.

3. Click Remove.

4. Click OK to confirm.

5. Click Close to exit the User Object dialog.